


Nightmare

by fangirl2013



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Death, F/M, Modern, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-17 20:02:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1400674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl2013/pseuds/fangirl2013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern: When Anne's woken by a dream involving her son Edward, she confides in Richard and they try and comfort each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is alright. :) Please tell me what you think.

Staring at the piping hot green tea in her hands, Anne tried to calm herself down. The very vivid dream of Edward hadn’t just awoken her from her sleep but also had left her shaken and disturbed. Whilst she had never been one to suffer from nightmares, especially, once she’d married Richard, the nightmare she had suffered seemed to be one she couldn't shake. 

The nightmares she’d suffered as a little girl had always featured monsters or other figures that completely terrified her like her old geography teacher, whose domineering nature had caused even the most confident students to be forced into submission. As Anne thought of her old geography teacher, she cracked a rueful smile. No wonder her little 11 year old self had terrified of her, even if her Fathers words had given her the confidence to hold her head up high. 

“Remember, Anne. You’re a Neville. You cannot let her grind you down, little one. ” Her Father’s words had been light but she had remembered them each time she had her lesson. No longer did Mrs Hathaway scare her. 

No. It had been Maggie of Anjou that had replaced her in her nightmares. She seemed to make Mrs Hathaway look all warm and cuddly.

Shaking her head, stopping herself from digressing even more, Anne slowly brought her mug to her lips. She felt tired and disorientated and as much as she wanted to return back to bed (and to Richard’s side) her shaking hands told her she was still very much shaken by her dream. 

Tears blurred her vision as images of her son dead came back to her. She wanted nothing more than to forget the horrifying images that had plagued her sleep but she seemed to be unable to do so. Her son’s fragile health had been the source of most of her worries and she wasn’t surprised, they had found their way into her dreams. 

Anne had become so caught up in her thoughts that she had forgotten about the boiling hot drink in her hands. She only seemed to remember about it once she had taken a huge gulp of the liquid and as a result, burnt her tongue. 

Whilst the pain from the drink had stopped her from dwelling on the dream any further, she couldn’t help but feel stupid. Why was she letting a dream affect her so? Although, it had, indeed, appeared realistic, Edward’s health was being managed. At least for the time being. 

When she had first awoken, her first reaction was to wake Richard up. She had longed for his comfort, for him to take her in his arms and tell her that it was simply a dream but the peaceful expression on his face stopped her. The dark circles adorning his handsome face was visible to her as she had sat up and at the sight of them, she had felt guilty. It was because of her that they were there.

Her fears about Edward had kept them both awake the previous night before and Richard had made sure she had felt better before he had returned to his sleep. Even, though, he had ended up going to sleep back to sleep at three in the morning. 

Giving her drink one resentful look, she placed it down on the counter. She’d had hoped when she had made it with a shaking hand that it would help her to relax but if anything, she felt even worse than she did before. 

 

X 

Anne had taken her time going up the stairs. As much as she wanted to be next to Richard, she knew he’d sense something was wrong. He always did. Even when she had been a little girl, he’d be there right next to her asking what was wrong. 

He was the only person who could see behind the calm façade she often portrayed. Whilst most were fooled by it, even Isabel, he never was. 

The rustling of the bed sheets seemed to alert Richard to Anne being awake and it was only a little while later did Richard speak.

“Anne, why are you awake at this time?” His voice sounded muffled as he spoke. 

Anne couldn’t help but look apologetic as Richard opened his arms towards her, gesturing for her to come into them. She did so quickly but the apologetic expression on her face remained as she did so. 

“I had a dream. I couldn’t get back to sleep.” She admitted to him, softly. 

At her words, she felt Richard’s hold on her tighten. Anne seemed to wait for him to ask what the dream was about, especially, as it had affected her so strongly yet it seemed to Anne that he was waiting for her to speak. Apart of Anne didn’t want to tell him what the dream was about, especially, as she had begun to relax in his arms. 

Bringing the dream up and telling him what had happened would only cause her pain and in Richard’s case, worry. He loved their son just as much as she did, even if it didn’t feel that way at times.

With her head resting on his chest, Anne couldn’t help but let out a weary sigh. She knew he’d be awake for as long as she needed him, which meant she would need to tell him what was wrong. 

Looking at his face, he seemed to look even more fatigued than when she had first looked at him and it was out of guilt that she began to explain what her nightmare had exactly been about. She watched his reaction as she told him of how Edward’s health had deteriorated and the following actions that had led to his death.

Her frantic, whispered words seemed to affect Richard greatly as not only had he sat up straight, his head leaning against the headboard to their bed, but a look of horror had replaced the concern on his face. 

His blue eyes looked watery as she continued to speak and Anne couldn’t bear to fight the urge to comfort him and so her hand immediately found his. The feeling of her hand against his seemed, for a little while, comforting but it was only a little while later before Richard pulled Anne into a tight hug.

The relief she’d gotten from telling him her dream was small in comparison to the guilt she felt from telling Richard. It was obvious to her just how badly her words had affected him. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you. I just knew you would want to know what was wrong before you went back to sleep.” Anne told him, apologetically.  
At her words, Anne saw her husband shaking his head softly. 

“No, Anne. You were right to tell me, sweetheart. He’s my son, too. I almost wish you’d told me when you’d first woken up. I could have done something to comfort you.” His words didn’t assuage any of the guilt she felt but the sincerity of his words were obvious. 

For a long time, neither of them spoke. Words seemed unnecessary. They both took comfort in the feeling of being with each other. For Richard, Anne’s words had reminded him just how much his son meant to him and Anne. His hold on her had tightened at her words automatically as if telling him not to let go of her. 

The silence was only broken when Anne had to ask the question that had been bothering her from the minute she had been awoken from her dream. 

“How will we cope if something happens to him? He’s our little boy…” Her voice broke as she contemplated losing her only son. 

Richard’s voice was brisk as he answered her but even then, Anne could tell he was trying to be comforting. It was just hard for him to contemplate.

“If it does happen, God forbid that it ever does, we will cope, Anne. I’m sure of it.”


End file.
